Shui'rongyu Rootpaw
Character for MoP Everything here is a work in progress and is subject to change. 'Appearance WIP:' Panda. 'History WIP:' 'A Radish Farmer and His Brew' Zi’fah and Mei Rootpaw were each born into the Douku Shao’din and had made a living within it as radish farmers in the Earth Caste. The Rootpaw family had a reputation for their farming ability and they made a living by being good at what they did. With what excess radishes they had, they would make barrels upon barrels of brew for other members of the family. The next generation of the Rootpaw family finally started when, quickly after reaching adulthood, Zi’fah and Mei gave birth to their first son: Shui’rongyu. Shui’s parents raised him on the field. In just a few short years he was already out helping his farther grow and harvest the bounty for the season. Shui’s father worked him hard, as his father had done to him, for there were many lessons to be learned in the field and it took a certain kind of strength to be the best at what they did. “Shui, in this field there is an uneasy truce between the elements. The earth gives our crop safe haven. Rain gives it life and the sun’s rays give it strength, but we trust the air to decide which of those the field needs. Only when the four elements work harmoniously are we blessed with a great harvest, although, sometimes we may need to intervene to maintain the balance.” At the age of fifteen it was customary in the Rootpaw family for the sons to learn how to brew the family’s specialty: Rootpaw Radish Brew. This was an exciting day for Shui’rongyu as it was also the day when he would get his first taste of the infamous brew. After learning the process he was given a sample of what he just made. He eagerly went to take a sip but the second it touched his lips he spat it out and dropped his cup on the ground, trying to get the taste out of his mouth. At first he believed he made a mistake in the process but then looked up at his mother and saw her giggling, “No it’s supposed to taste that way. Don’t worry, I was the same way. You’ll get used to it.” 'The Way of the Elements' By the age of twenty-five, Shui’rongyu had become a major contributor to the daily operations of the farm and actually even started started to enjoy the taste of the family brew. In the years that had passed he learned two things: the reward that came from a hard day’s work and that this was not how he wanted to spend his life. He would often go to the cliffs overlooking ocean and stare into the distant mists, wondering what was out there. On one of these occasions he heard the sound of footsteps coming up behind him. They were slow, but light. Every other step was followed by the sound of a walking stick hitting the cliff rocks. Shui turned to see a face he had never seen before but his was a name Shui had heard many times around other members of the Shao’din: Master Shai’jin, an elder aquamancer of the Douku’s Water Caste. “I’ve seen that look on many faces, young one. You believe there is something out there. Perhaps it is better than what you have now; perhaps it isn’t. But because you cannot see it all you do is wonder. I’ll bet even know you think I am talking about the mists out there in the distance hmm? That is the problem with so many of our youth: you spend so much time looking outward but not enough looking inside yourself. Perhaps what you are feeling is not a disconnect from the physical world but instead a deeper connection with spiritual one. One that, maybe, you should explore.” After much discussion, Master Shai’jin revealed that he too was originally born into the Earth Caste; he was a craftsman who, through mental discipline found himself more at home within the Water Caste. He explained to Shui’rongyu that if he was interested he would be willing to train him in the arts of geomancy. Shui was reluctant at first; he had many responsibilities on the farm and very little time as it was. After a few hours of talking, Shui agreed to the teachings if, and only if, Shai’jin would allow the training to go on in secret. 'TrainingPH' WIP 'The Role of the Geomancer' For nearly twenty years Shui and his new master had gotten away with their lessons while still leaving everyone in the dark. In all of those years Shui managed to keep to his duties on the farm while still practicing geomancy on the side. When Shui was age forty-four there came an especially bad season for the farm. There was a large amount of heavy rain that season which caused the soil to become far too moist and threatened to ruin their entire harvest. Shui had wanted to reveal his training to his parents for a while now and decided that this was a great opportunity to put his lessons to the test. He went to the field and tried to draw the water from the soil. He had done similar things in practice before but on a much smaller scale. Shui’s parents watched with curious eyes as they saw their flooded land begin to dry up but their gaze turned to that of horror when they saw, one by one, their radishes began to dry up, wither, and burn. Each individual ember began to come together to form a wall of fire on their land. Shui used all of his elemental abilities in an attempt at putting out the patches of flame as it began drawing closer and closer to the farmhouse. With each attempt it seemed like things would get worse. After throwing everything he had at it, he become so fatigued he could barely stand. He kneeled at the front of the farmland and watched as both of his parents ran from the home to escape the approaching flames. It was then, just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a bright blue light emanated from the center of the field and from it a wave of mist and moisture came and quelled the hungry flames. Shui stared at the scorched field believing for a short moment that he had summoned the tide of water but his pride was quickly crushed when he heard the sound of familiar footsteps behind him: slow, but light, with the sound of a walking stick hitting the ground every other step. Master Shai’jin looked at Shui with disappointed eyes and then at the Shui’s mother and father who were still silent, in shock at what just happened. Their land scorched, their home nearly burned, and ow where they stood a chance of having a poor harvest, they instead had none at all. “You learned the place of each element but you have failed to learn what your place is in contrast to them. We have great power when it comes to swaying the spirits but it comes at a cost. You tipped the scale and it pushed you back. Consider yourself lucky, young Shui’rongyu, those who play with fire, get burned.” 'Dig Deep Enough and You'll Find Water' The Rootpaw family made it through the season with the help of other members of the Douku’s Earth Caste. It took twice as much work to get the soil back to working conditions and during that time Shui was forbidden to continue training. Shui spent all of his time working to repair the damage he had done but he pushed his way through all of the blisters and sore muscles to produce the best harvest his family had in years. When things at home were in a manageable condition Shui’rongyu explained to his parents that his destiny was not one which involved a hoe. Shui’s parents were disappointed to find that he did not want to continue the family’s legacy but they understood that he needed to choose his own way. Shui and his parents agreed that he would continue to help on the farm as long as he was still living under their roof but he could continue to learn under Master Shai’jin. Over the course of the next thirty-six years, Shui continued to study the ways of the geomancer focusing on the balance and need for each element to coexist in harmony. In that time it became obvious that Shui exceled at bending water to his will. He wished to learn how to use it to heal those in need. This, being exactly the thing Shai’jin specialized in, made him very proud and just as eager to teach it as Shui was to learn it. “Water, young Shui’rongyu, is no more important than the other three elements but if used correctly it can be an invaluable tool! It is unmatched in its ability to create and keep life but it is dangerous in the hands of a mortal being. With this you will be able to heal mortal wounds and wash away even the oldest scars. This I something you cannot take lightly; you must have the wisdom to know which scars you will keep alive and what you are willing to heal. If you wish to focus on the teachings of water you must give up your life as a farmer and become a part of the ‘Water Caste.’ To do that you will have to go through a trial which I will assign to you; if you pass it we shall begin your training and the true tests will begin.” 'Trial of the Jade Tiger' 'Mists of Shadow' Master Shai’jin led Shui’rongyu out into the wilds of the Jade Forest up to the top of a great waterfall. He sat Shui down at the edge of the falls and lit a fine white powder next to him which burned slowly and released an odorless gas into the air. Shui closed his eyes as his master explained: “Sit, close your eyes, breathe deep, and relax. We cannot be great at what we do unless we eliminate all doubt in ourselves and yet, we need to know when our confidence becomes hubristic. This is your test, Shui’rongyu, you are to go deep within your mind and eliminate the wall of uncertainty holding you back. Walk through the mists which you have stared at, curiously, and face what lies on the other side.” Shui sat there for a few minutes silently, confused about what was going to happen. He listened to the sound of the waterfall, trying to relax his mind. He inhaled the smoke deep into his lungs and felt as if he was falling into a dream, one from which he could not wake. He opened his eyes and found himself on a narrow road surrounded by a mist of darkness. As he took a minute to look around at the black nothingness around him he heard a voice far into the distance, yet clear as day. The voice came deep, growling, and resonating as if bouncing off the walls of shadow. “So another has come? Look what we have: a farmer this time. Good. Come. Let’s have some fun.” Shui continued walking slowly forward along the road, unsure of where it led or how long it went. As he continued the voice continued to get louder and began taunting him from the distance. Each time it spoke it echoed in Shui’s head and sent a chill down his spine. “Many have travelled this road before. What makes you think you are any different than them?” 'The Dark Pagoda' It felt like hours had gone by and every few minutes the faceless voice would continue on trying inject a seed of doubt into Shui’s mind. Shui’rongyu came to a clearing in the darkness. He could see a small garden leading up to the steps to a pagoda which reached up into a sky of black. On the steps sat a hooded male and female eating, paying no attention to Shui’s presence. The voice was now growing uncomfortably loud, laughing. “They made it this far too. You aren’t special. And guess what? They all still failed!” '' Shui walked up the steps of the pagoda, with hesitation .He rested his hand upon one of the two jade tiger statues for balance and looked up at the solid, crimson wall before him. For a moment he looked around, confused at what to do next. He glanced down at the two seated next to him who continued to eat, silently. The voice returned as two large doors formed on the wall before him. ''“Two doors! One leads back the way you came…And one takes you further into this game!” As the voice described the doors a symbol began to glow on each: earth on the door to his left and water on the door to his right. “Before you choose ask yourself this: do you have the strength to continue little pandaren? Think of all those you’ve disappointed already!” The two seated pandaren stood up and removed their hoods, revealing their faces. Shui looked in horror, unsure if he could believe his own eyes, when he saw the faces of his mother and father. They faced Shui with their eyes looking at the ground as if disappointed. Both of them turned and walked together into the gardens away. There was a moment of silence before the gardens erupted in a pillar of flame which engulfed the two. “Think, now, of all those you stand to hurt! You are playing with fire, young geomancer! You are not the only one who stands to lose something! You and anyone who gets close to you will burn!” Shui’rongyu pulled his hands over his ears to try and quiet the dark laughter which filled his head. He looked at the two doors before him, feeling that same doubt in himself he had the day he burned his family’s farmland, that same uncertainty he experienced while staring into the mist. He rose his hand, slowly, shaking. He approached the door marked ‘earth’ and stood there for a moment while he grinded his teeth. Shui shouted to himself as he pulled his hand away from the knob and placed it on the door marked water. As the palm of his hand touched the knob the ground began to shake and he could hear the sound of cracking behind him. He turned around quickly and saw one of the jade tigers begin to crack. Piece by piece jade chunks began to fall off and revealed jade colored, living flesh. The exposed beast turned its head and looked at Shui with its dark green eyes. Shui turned to open the door but found that the knob didn’t turn. “You think it’s all that easy? This is FAR from over!” 'The Jade Tiger' The tiger leaped into the porch of the pagoda and tackled Shui to the ground. It opened its mouth and made a move for Shui’s throat which he countered by holding it by the neck with his left hand. Shui now realized that the tiger which had pinned him down was also the origin of the voice which had been tormenting his mind this whole time. The beast continued pushing while Shui struggled to hold it back. “How long do you really think you can hold me? I have existed for longer than you can even comprehend! Who do you think will get tired first? Look to your right! There is a dagger! Do you think you have it in you? Go ahead. Use it. Kill me. Do it. You want the ability to decide when something should live or die? Here is your chance!” Shui looked to his right and saw there was indeed a dagger laying there next to a bowl of water left from the two images of his parents. He laid there with the beat on him unsure of what to do. He had never killed anything before. He didn’t want to kill. “You can’t do it can you? Everyone is right about you! You are weak!” Shui looked back up into the eyes of the tiger and reached his hand to the right, grabbed the bowl of water, and threw it over the beast’s head. Shui yelled while he looked the jade tiger in the eye'', “I do not take life. I restore it.”'' He placed his hand upon its soaked head. The tiger’s screams shook the walls of the pagoda as the water began to glow and sink into his scalp. The light blinded Shui as the screams began to fade into nothing. He closed his eyes for a moment but when he opened them he found himself standing in front the steps of the pagoda with the jade tiger sitting before him. The dark mist was gone. He could see far into the blue sky and even the road behind him was now clear. Shui turned back to face the now tranquil beast resting in front of the stairs. It’s voice was no longer loud and overbearing. It reminded Shui of a tranquil stream. “Thank you, young geomancer. You managed to sooth the suffering of my mind and clear the corruption that had taken hold. My mind had fallen into darkness long ago so deeply that it pulled this entire realm in with it. You have done well on this day and as your reward you may go through the door you have chosen. Good luck on your journey, mortal one.” Shui’rongyu stood there for a moment, still trying to catch his breath. He took one last bow before the jade tiger and headed up the steps and into the door. He could hear the familiar sound of a waterfall as he walked through but saw nothing. Shui tried to adjust his eyes to the sudden darkness and after the fourth blink he opened his eyes and found himself sitting back at the waterfall. He turned his head to see Shai’jin standing behind him, smiling. “Welcome to the Water Caste. Now is the part where it starts to get tough.” 'Feel the Flow' Within a few days Shai’jin began teaching the deeper philosophies behind using elemental water as a tool for healing. Shui’rongyu devoted all of his spare time working towards this ultimate goal. Every day would prove to be tougher than the last. For nearly two decades Shai’jin taught Shui the subtleties of aquamancy, while still leaving much for him to learn for himself. These lessons included meditation, balancing the body and mind, and ancient rituals to appease the spirits. “Your movements must be smooth and not rigid. You need to feel the flow. You cannot expect water to do what you ask of it if you do not give its energy a medium to move through! Be more like the tide. Be slow and gentle. Imagine what would happen If the tides stormed in every day like a tidal wave!” 'My Mentor, My Friend' When Shui was age ninety-eight, Shai’jin decided that there was nothing more he could teach him; everything more that there was to learn he would have to go out and discover it himself. The master-apprentice relationship ended but the two remained good friends who would still spend their time trying to better themselves in their art. They bounced ideas off each other and spent their free time meditating. This continued on until Shai’jin fell ill one winter. On the night he died, Shai’jin gave his final words to Shui who he considered the best friend he had. “Shui’rongyu: my student, my friend. There comes a time in everyone’s life where they must leave the side of the mentor and walk the path alone. When we first met you were so clouded by self-doubt you couldn’t see where the road led and now just look at you. My story has been told but yours is only just beginning. Do not mourn the death of this old man for he has led a good life and he considers himself lucky to have had a student like you. Go now, my friend, into the world, where you are really needed. Do this dying man proud, I know you will do what is right.” 'A Bird Must Learn to Fly' The loss of Shai’jin left an unmendable hole in Shui’rongyu. Throughout his life he had made many acquaintances but only considered Shai’jin his true friend. The day after Shai’jin’s death, Shui approached the head of the Water Caste, Shen'ru, and explained that he needed to go out and experience the world. “No one here understands this more than I, Shui’rongyu. Shai’jin did the same thing when he was around your age and now it looks as if a part of your old master has rubbed off on you. I suppose every young bird needs to spread its wings and fly sometime. I hope you find what it is you are looking for. Sometimes we spend so much time looking for something that isn’t there we forget to appreciate what it is we already have.” Shui’rongyu gave his parents a hug goodbye and thanked them for everything they had done for him. Through all the tears there was a smile of pride on their faces as they watched their son walk off into the distance with nothing more than a pack of food, the robes on his back, a staff, and bottle of Rootpaw Radish Brew. He told no one else of his leave, had no idea how long he would be gone, and had not even the slightest indication where the road he followed would lead, but he didn’t care. This was the new Shui’rongyu and to him it wasn’t about the destination but rather the steps we take in getting there. 'Same Land, Different World' Shui’rongyu spent the next twenty-three years of his life walking across all of Pandaria. He would go from village to village, town to town, and spend months at a time in some of them. To get by he’d offer his services to the people he encountered in return for just enough provisions to survive on and sometimes a place to sleep. He never asked for more than he needed; his reason for doing this was not to profit, only to brighten the lives of those he met. Most places just required a little extra help on their farms but there were plenty of times Shui got to put his healing abilities to work. No task was too small: in some towns he would just try to put a smile on the faces of young pandaren by just making water dance to entertain them and on many occasions, Shui gathered up some people and would tell ancient stories and legends. He would tell stories of days long past and the ancient heroes from long ago. It was always a sad goodbye the morning Shui would leave and continue on his way. Many times people would try and stop him. They would express sadness for how lonely he must be: never staying in once place long enough to make lasting relationships and every time he would explain to them: “I would love to stay here, or really many of the other places I have been but I must go where I am needed. I have lent my hands and my wisdom to you and in return you have given me so much more. Do not worry about me for in my travels I made more friends than I can count and while I may never see many of them again, they have made a huge impact on my spirit. These experiences are ones I will treasure for the rest of my life.” The sad truth was that even though Shui’rongyu would put on a happy face, he felt empty. This was a burden he was prepared to take on from the begging, though. At this point, he believed it was best not to get too close to anyone. 'Time Changes Everything' After many long years traveling from shore to shore, Shui’rongyu decided to make his way back home to visit his family and share what stories he had. Now aged one hundred and twenty four, Shui had grown quite a bit since leaving and was excited to see what changes had taken place within the Douku. He hadn’t kept in contact with anyone in the Shao’din since his leaving and this disconnection made his return feel more like he was going somewhere new. As he walked amongst fellow members of the Shao’din, he was left unnoticed. Twenty three years is enough time for people to forget a face even when age weighs no bearing on it. Still he walked through Douku lands with a smile on his face. He had missed being home. Shui’rongyu went into the temple to find Shen'ru. Shen'ru had aged quite a bit since Shui had last seen him. More of his fur had turned grey, his walk was slower, and he needed to put more of his weight on his staff to walk. Shen'ru explained to Shui that there had been a lot of changes in and around the Douku and decided it would be better to show him. Shui'rongyu and Shen'ru passed through the training grounds where two men were dueling and they decided to take a moment to watch as a crowd had already formed. The two young pandaren had just begun their battle and seemed evenly matched. Through their fighting it became obvious these two had been trained from a young age in the art of war. They looked familiar to Shui’rongyu so he asked Shen'ru who they were. “Who are they? That is Zheng Firemane, the future Warlord of the Fire Caste and Lidun PH_LAST_NAME, one of the two brothers who will one day rise to be the Shodo-pan of the Douku. You’ve been away a long time haven’t you? I suppose back then they looked much younger. Hopefully you will be sticking around enough to get to know them, yeah?” Shui remembered the two young pandaren from years before. He thought to himself how nice it would be to get to know all of the faces around him, both familiar and new, but knew that it wouldn't be possible. He came back knowning his stay was only temporary. “It's only for a few days. That’s the plan.” he thought to himself as he headed to his parent’s farm. 'The Elder Rootpaws' Shen’ru and Shui’rongyu parted ways as Shui made has way back to his home. From a distance he could make out his father, Zi’fah, out in the fields working with his back turned to the direction Shui was coming from. Shui was happy to see that at least this was one thing that didn’t change. He worried for a moment what this meeting would be like. Different scenarios ran in his head which all seemed to end with neither of his two parents being excited of his return. Shui’rongyu approached his father from behind and let out a quiet, hesitant, greeting. Zi’fah turned his head slowly. He still had the same grin on his face that Shui remembered but as soon as he realized who it was that came to see him, Zi’fah could not hold in his excitement. Zi’fah dropped his hoe and embraced Shui, telling how much he missed him. Shui’rongyu looks towards the farmhouse and saw his mother, Mei, walking outside. Shui smiled at her, still embracing his father, and then realized she wasn’t alone. Following her outside was a young child, no more than the age of four years. “Shui, I’d like you to meet Huodian, your brother.” 'Rootpaw, the Youngest' The four of them went inside to sit down and talk. Shui’rongyu had forgotten how much he missed being back in the house he had grown up in. Mei poured a mug of Rootpaw Radish Brew for each of them except the youngest one who got a small cup of bamboo tea. Shui’rongyu had forgotten how much better his father was at brewing than he was and quickly guzzled down the brew he was given. He had planned on telling them the stories of his travels but he was much too interested in hearing about the newest addition to the Rootpaw line. After freeing his mouth from his mug he quickly began firing questions at his two parents in excitement. “Shui. So much has changed since you left and while I know why you had to do it… it still left a hole in our hearts that we thought we could never fill. Your father is getting older now and even though he would never admit it, I know that the work out there is starting to be a bit too much for him. We’ve even gone down to half harvests in the past eight years because we just don’t have the energy anymore to tend to a full crop. You know the Rootpaw is a long line of farmers and we are so proud that you found what you are good at and are doing something you want to do but…Shui, the older generation is gone now, those in ours are starting to drop like flies, and up until four years ago you were the only one to carry on the Rootpaw legacy which you can’t do with all of your duties in the Water Caste. Now that task falls onto your new brother. When he came into our lives we suddenly felt whole again and remembered what it was like to have hope in the Rootpaw name. Shui, we love you and love what you do but…we need to request that you do not teach young Huodian any geomancy. He is a farmer of the Earth Caste and you, of all people, should know how important each caste is to the Douku.” Shui’rongyu looked down into the eyes of his new brother and then back up at his parents. He agreed, “Fine, but I have decided I will not be abandoning the Douku or my family again. I am sure that there is some need of someone like me in the Douku and I think it only right that Huodian grow up knowing who I am.” 'Faces of the Douku' WIP 'Learn to Run, Then Walk' WIP 'Play With Fire and You'll Get Burned' 'Playing With Fire' WIP '...And Everyone Around You Will Burn' WIP 'The Scars we Keep Alive' WIP 'From the Ashes' WIP Category:Pandaren Category:Shieldpaw Shaman Category:Horde Shaman Category:Pandaren Shaman Category:Shaman